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C. 1?'. LANTRY. MAGHINB POB, AT'IAGHING POSTAGE STAMPS. No. 518,612. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

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MACHINE `Fon ATTAGHING POSTAGE STAMPS.

No. 518,612. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.4

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MACHINE POR ATTAGHING POSTAGE STAMPS.

No. 518,612. l Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

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UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. LANTRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR `ATTACHING POSTAGE-STAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,612, dated April 24,1894.

Application filed May B, 1893. Serial No. 473,197. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

lSe it known that I, CHARLES F. LANTRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Machines for Attaching Postage -Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for attaching postage stamps to envelopes, parcels and the like; and the object of my invention is to attach the stamps securely and rapidly by a single pressure of one hand upon a sliding piston or receptacle forming part of my machine, While with the other hand a letter or envelope is fed to the machine as soon as the preceding letter has been automatically removed t'rom it. I accomplish this object by a machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof partially in section. Flg. 3. is a transverse section through the same. Fig. 4. is a detailed view, showing the piston on its return trip and the spring-lock closed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the bottom part of the stamp-box G showing corner stops. Fig. 6. is a rear view of the machine partially in section (cutting off the bracket A). Fig. 7. is a perspective view of the brush-lever and its connections.

My machine consists of three distinct mechanisms, one for holding the letter to be provided with apostage stamp, one, to meisten the place on the envelope at which the stamp is to be attached, and one for carrying and successively feeding the postage stamps to be attached. All of these mechanisms are mounted upon a ground plate A, carrying above a stanchion or bracket A', and below preferably a clamp A2; by means ot' which the machine can Vbe secured upon the top plate of an ordinary table. At a distance above the ground, plate A is mounted a narrow ianged table B and guided in a horizontal position preferably by two bolts b secured thereon and projecting below and passing through openings in the ground plate, and two springs b encircling said bolts between the bottom of the table and the top of the ground plate, and held at the required tension by the nuts b2 secured upon the screw-threaded ends of the bolts 'b under the groundV plate. The width of the table should slightly exceed the length of the postage stamp and its length is selected preferably equal to that of the smallest letter to be posted. The table B will thus form an elastic cushion when struck from above.

At one side preferably the left side of the machine, and partially projecting above the` table B is mounted a water trough D carrying at one end a goose neck-shaped mouthpiece D. Into this trough and through the mouth-piece D and slightly projecting beyond the mouth of the latter, is placed a Wick E for carrying a moderate quantity of water to the moistening brush FS described hereinafter.

One end of a spring or clamp C is secured preferably to the trough D in front of the table, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The clamp C passes then backward and downward, and, after touching the table in the rear, passes beyond it through an opening in its upright flange b3, and then upward to a connection with one end of a horizontal lever C', which is centrally mounted upon a stud C2 projecting from the bracket A (the former serving at the same time as a support of oneend of the trough D by means of a bracket ol projecting therefrom), as shown in Figs. 6, l, 2, and 3.

The postage stamps S are preferably arranged in a removable box G in layers of one hundred or more, with the gum sides pointing downward when the box is `placed in position for work, in the sliding frame H which is guided to slide vertically upward and downward by a suitable guide frame I secured to a iange A3 projecting from the bracket A.

The sliding frame H, Figs. l, 2, and 3, is open below and provided with a cover H' having a springlock u and hand button above, and a recess Hz to receive the enlarged head Gr of the stamp box G which is slid into and through the frame H from above, and secured rmly therein by closing the cover H. A slot h in the frame H engaging with a pin t' secured in the guide-frame I limits the height of the sliding motion of the frame H which is held against the pin vl in its highest position, by means of a spring J one end of which IOO 5 f provided with the cam-lever f at one end and with the bent lever f2 carrying the brush F3 at the other end. A spring f4 holds the lever fzragainst the adjustable stop f5 and` the brush F3 against the wick E; when the stamp box is at rest in its highest position,

while the cam-lever f is resting in a horizontal position in close proximity below a sliding rail h of the sliding'frame H.

The stamp box Gis open below with exstamp and prevent it from premature discharge.k In the drawings I show four triangular pieces mounted one at eachfcorner of the lower opening'but reserve the useof two strips secured at two opposite sides or three or more prismatic or cylindrical obstructions distributed at various places along the inner edges of the' lower openingof the box G5, forr the above'named purpose. yOn top of the' layer of stamps is preferablyplaced a prismatic follower or weight w cut away or bev--` eled at its bottom` edges,fto provide ample space for the last stamp to slide out between the weight and the retaining strips when affixed to an envelope. The follower is held in close contact with the layer of stamps by a c spiral-spring fu, thus causing the stamps to bulge out slightly and the iirst stamp to project i beyond the lower" edges of the strip `gir and Within reach of the operator, preferably at its left, he commences by feeding aletter with his left hand upon'the table Band under the clamp C till it touches the flange b3. and is4 firmly held in this position between the table and the clamp. sliding yframe II carrying the stamp box G one of the slide rails h will engage with the 'lever f', depressing it at first, and then, sliding past it will hold it in the changed position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, till the sliding frame passes the end of the lever f on its return trip, when it will be returned to its starting position by the aid of the spring f4, lever f2 and shaft f. yIn Fig. Gthe sliding rail h, which actuates the brush-movement, and the brush-lever are shown in full view in its starting position, andthe descent of the rail, the corresponding position of the brushlever and its'connection, and the endposition of the lever C2 are'shown in dotted lines. i

This motion of the lever f', will be communicated to the brush F3, through the shaftff and ception-of projectionsr to support the last` thus to adhere to the moistened portion ot'k While then depressing the' `ted lines of Fig. 1ot the drawings, if` the table B would not interrupt .this motion and compel the moistened brush to slide overone corner of the letter L placed upon the table at that portion of itwwhich lays directly` under the stamp box Gr and to meisten the envelope. For the remainder of the down stroke and the larger part of the return movement of H and Gr the moistening brush F3 will `r e` main in a position shown in dotted hues 1n Fig. l, thus allowing the box G to pass and will be 'returned only at the end yof the up stroke ofv thesliding frame H to its primary position, against the wick E and there receive additional moisture for moistenlng the next envelope. To release the stamped letter two levers C and nare centrally mounted in such positions nthat oneendof the lever C'isl depressed/by the same rail hon the sliding frame I-I which actuates the lever f',

at or near the moment when the box Gr carrying the stamps touches the letterLand the other end is raised together with the clamp C to av position shown in Figs. 4 and yf6. A i i spring nr at this moment will cause the nose n3 of the lever n centrally pivoted aty 'n2 to slide overthedepressedarm of the lever C. i i

holdingthe spring C in a raised position and giving the stamped letter time yto drop from the table into the basket. At the end of the return movement yoit' the frameHa pin h6 secured thereon engaging with the cam /nlon thelever n will oscillate the lever n and yreroo lease the lever C', thusreturning the clamp c to its primary position.y On the rend off the down stroke of the box Gr` the spring and weighufor either 'one alone, will pressrthe lowest stamp with its gummed side against the moistened portion of the underlying envelope land aftix the same to it and allow its removal during. the recoil movement followy ing` the stroke from yunder the supporting strips g which to facilitate the escape are preferably rounded or slanting downward. The recoil motion ot' the weight can be aided by aseparate spring being placed under the IIQ separated hand-button between it and the.` y

cover II', and connecting' the weightlw with the hand-button by a rod passing through an opening in the top of the box G and the cover H', or a heavier weight w and agrecoil spring balancing lthe latter may alone be employed, omitting the spring U entirely. The

' dropping of the letter fromthe table B will be aided by a slight jerk caused by the nuts b2 striking against the lower face of the ground plate A. y c

`Clamp A2 is not anessential feature of my size and shape of thefground plateA so as to 'enable it to' support the'parts and to retain a serteddirectly into the plunger H 'through suitable openings and' the latterclosed and the retaining strips could beattached to the machine but can be omitted by increasing the open bottom of said plunger thus omitting the i separate receptacle G, without materially disturbing the usefulness of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is` 5 l. In a machine for attaching postage stamps, the combination of an upright plunger mounted in a suitable frame and carrying a removable stamp receptacle with a cushioned table, a retaining clamp, an oscillating ro brush, and a water tank, as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

2. In a machine for attaching postage stamps the combination of an upright plunger carrying the stamps and mounted in a suitable frame with a cushioned table, a re- 15 taining clamp, an oscillating brush, anda water-tank as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

" Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 3d day of zo May, A. D. 1893.

CHARLES F. LANTRY.

Witnesses:

J. C. GALLAGHER,

ARTHUR M.W1ENER. 

